


Unshed Reality

by AnnaCrimson



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Betrayal, Character Bashing, Drama, Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, Fem Harry likes to read, Female Harry Potter, Female Protagonist, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Hurt/Comfort, Love Triangles, Mild Blood, Mild Gore, Mild Sexual Content, No Slash, Romance, Room of Requirement, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:54:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25788403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaCrimson/pseuds/AnnaCrimson
Summary: Life is exceedingly difficult for Rosa Potter. Left behind by her friends and shoved aside by the entirety of the school after using the Cruciatus Curse on mass murderer Bellatrix Lestrange, plunging her in ultimate insanity. After she returns to Hogwarts for her 6th year and her ban from Gryffindor Tower demanded by those she assumed she could trust, she ends up in the Room of Requirement with 16 year old Tom Marvolo Gaunt Riddle, student at Hogwarts from 1943, a student that is eerily similar to her. A certain blonde Slytherin warms up to her as she tries to change reality, the past, the present and the future all at once, having to endure trials of torment and confusion, being tangled in the portal that bends both the past and the present that might as well determine the future.Rosa needs to be careful who to trust. She needn’t let the wrong information end up in the wrong hands, changing reality in far worse ways than it originally was. Where everything seems like an illusion, over bent reality far from what she would be able to endure, twisting her mind utterly, she didn’t know what to feel anymore, as well as the other two boys.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Harry Potter/Tom Riddle, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood, Pansy Parkinson/Blaise Zabini
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	Unshed Reality

She stood there, rooted to the spot. Disbelief washed over her. She couldn’t move. She felt numb. A vivacious cackling sounded across the atrium in the distance, followed by the unmistakable noise of rushed footsteps in a running motion. Rosa gazed longingly at the eerie, but somewhat hauntingly beautiful veil. Could hear the voices whispering to her. He was in there… Sirius had to be… He, Sirius, would always be there for her. He had promised her that. She could remember, clear as daylight, the laughter etched onto his face as he slowly arched and gracefully fell through the veil, as if welcoming her as well, to join him, or, as to promise her he would return, perhaps, with a surprise. But, no... Sirius wouldn’t keep her waiting like that… He never kept her waiting… He wouldn’t leave her gushed into this suspense and fear, suffocating in her ranges of assumption and clustered bewilderment. Realization hit against her like tidal waves against a shore, as she stood, alone. Sirius was dead. Bellatrix Lestrange, his own cousin, had killed him. The woman had killed him, with a look of cruel satisfaction and glee on her face. That was all it took. A flash of red sparks shot through her hand, sending him backwards towards the veil, and he was gone. Gone without a trace. As if he never existed in the first place. Gone, never to come back. Never to give advice. Never to offer his help. Never to share numerous stories of her mother and father. Never to comfort her, to assure her that he would always be there. Never to be the father for Rosa that she had never had. It was all her fault. If she hadn’t trusted Kreacher with the information he had provided her, she would’ve saved him, it was clear the retched elf had lied now. If she hadn’t for once tried to prove herself the hero and hadn’t fallen into the abyss of Voldemort’s delusions and tricks on her mind, if she had only practiced Occlumency. But, no. Sirius wouldn’t think that way... It was Bellatrix. She, with all the hate and desire mustered in her soul, had killed him… She had taken away her last family. She was the one who directly cast the curse. She… She was going to pay.

All the muffled cacophony of noise finally came back to Rosa as she descended back into reality. Various hexes flashed past her, but she didn’t care. They were all still fighting, fighting over something stupid… Everything seemed useless… The only thing she was focused on was finding Bellatrix. She was going to show her. Yes, she was going to show her. Rosa caught a glimpse of madly twisted dark hair flash past her. She tightened the grip on her wand and rushed towards the witch. She was still cackling wildly, which only increased the anger searing through Rosa. 

“Catch me, baby Potter! Catch me if you can!”

Rosa swiftly ran and hid behind a gargoyle statue as Bellatrix turned around and directed a blinding string of red, a curse in her direction. The hard tiles crushed into tiny fragments as the curse made impact with the floor. 

“Aww, Rosie… This isn’t a game of hide and seek… Come out, come out now, or are you too afraid!”- Bellatrix imitated a mock baby tone as she said this in a high near whisper. Rosa grit her teeth in anger. Bellatrix found her as weak. Oh, she was going to show her… Yes, she was going to show her… Rosa revealed herself and stepped out from the gargoyle statue, clutching her wand tighter than ever, shaking in anger, pushing away the wavy raven hair obscuring her vision with a trembling and fragile hand and glaring at the opposing witch with pure hatred. Bellatrix was a few feet away from her, twisting her own wand in her hand and smiling a wicked broad smile, licking her crimson lips. Blazing, hot anger grazed Rosa’s insides and lingered there. Her head throbbed, the lightning scar on her forehead glistening in a vivid red. That woman had made her even more miserable. She had killed her godfather. She had also tortured Neville’s parents and torn apart many more wizarding families. But most of all, the copious amounts of pain she had inflicted upon Rosa herself caused the barrier inside of her to break. Fury and rage overtook her.

“CRUCIO!”- Rosa bellowed without hesitation, pointing her wand directly at Bellatrix. Voldemort’s most loyal death-eater let out an ear-piercing shriek and fell onto the floor, writhing in agony, as the curse hit her on the heart. Her lips were twitched into an oddly maddening smile, as if fully going insane, still thrashing on the floor. Rosa kept the curse on her still… It was satisfying… Seeing her in pain. Seeing the vile excuse for a human being on the floor at her feet. And this was only a small part of the pain that Bellatrix had inflicted onto Rosa. A very miniscule part. Bellatrix’s mad cackling mingled with her agonized screams, Rosa standing above her in a confident posture, satisfaction visible on her face. 

Everything was blurred from then on. The noise stopped, then muffled shrieks of disbelief and horror echoed through the atrium not long after. When pops that could only lead to the sign that wizards and witches were apparating to the place, Rosa pulled back and lowered her wand, ceasing the curse, looking anywhere but at her surroundings. She was clutching at the time in the past, but a force was pulling her into the depths of the present…

Flash!

“Rosa Potter, in the Ministry at this time?”  
Snap!

“Is that deranged Azkaban escapee Bellatrix Lestrange below the Potter girl?”

Flash!

“Girl who lived, what rebel is she up to this time?”

Snap!

“Are the rumors that Rosa Potter is unstable and dangerous proven to be true?”

Flash!

“Escapees in Azkaban, in the ministry? Has Potter sneaked them through and joined the dark side?”

Snap!

“No… Look at Lestrange you imbeciles! She’s screaming like mad- and she’s at Potter’s feet! Potter has deranged her even further! She isn’t at their side but I reckon she’s turned dark!”

Flash!

“Correct me if I’m mistaken- but aren’t those the after-effects of the infamous Cruciatus Curse? I’m rather sure about the theory Bellatrix Lestrange was put under the Cruciatus curse… A vicious one at that.”  
~  
Flashes of light obscured her vision completely. Then sound came back to her, descending back to reality yet again. So much was happening, Rosa couldn’t process anything… Her head was burning in fierce flames… Her muscles were aching all over… Her scar was cleaving her head open, crimson drops of blood fell from her chin… She felt strong arms pull her into a vice-like grip from behind. She didn’t even try struggling against them. She was dazed. She couldn’t think straight.  
“Get away from her! No questions! No carried out, diabolical assumptions! C-Can’t you see what state she’s in right now, you insensitive idiots, for Merlin’s sake! She needs rest! A teenage girl! A teenage girl!”- Remus Lupin’s shaky but yet somehow steady voice sounded behind her and she figured he was the one pulling her away from the reporters and Ministry wizards and witches. 

Ron’s face was contorted in horror and… disgust, though Rosa was afraid to admit it. She had caused her friend so much terror this night. Ron, whom had been there for her, whom she would trust, whom had offered his help whenever he could, and the one that always provided information about the Magic World. Ron, the friend who had let her stay with his family, and the one who always made her feel welcomed. He was her friend, and she had caused him too much pain and trauma this night. She couldn’t shake that fact out of her head. 

Hermione, ashen-faced and flustered, stood in silence, a blank expression on her face, Molly Weasley holding her shoulders firmly. She figured she healed her from the curse Dolohov had placed on her. The curse. Rosa couldn’t shake the fact out. She had caused so much pain to her best friend. The one who was always, no matter what by her side. The one who would always accompany her in reading, in doing anything really. Her first ever friend, the one she could relate to and trust the most, the one who didn’t make her feel so separated from everyone else.

Neville, pale and caught in disbelief, was trembling and shaking like crazy, he was about to faint... For a reason Rosa suppressed… Wasn’t possible. Wasn’t. She would never. She would’ve never done what she did. What was it that she did again?  
Luna was looking in the other direction, in the direction of the veil, and humming quietly to herself… She could hear the voices… The fascinating fluttering of the veil, of souls. They were always here. Weren’t they? Weren’t they?  
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
Rosa flicked the page of the book carefully so as to not damage the delicate paper. Laying feverishly in her bed in Grimmauld place, trembling and shaking all over despite the inner warmth of the room. She breathed heavily, scanning over the page, oblivious to the action playing out in the contents of the book. Skimming over the words uselessly, the driven plot, intriguing and gruesome details and smooth dialogue. Something she was passionate about, immersing herself in the literary world, it all seemed so aggravating as of now. This was merely too forced, she wasn’t enjoying it, a poor excuse to take her mind off of everything… Anxiously, she marked her progress and set down the book on her ebony bedside table, besides her parents’ photo album. The book was titled “Portrait of Markov”, an ominous and captivating eye symbol illustrated briefly on the cover. 

Rosa hastily got out of the bed, examining the room. It was draped in some sort of royal, velvety cashmere material. It contained an ebony bookshelf, with all of her favourites (the best part of the room to her.) There was a wide mirror in the corner, engraved with creviced symbols she couldn’t decipher, her trunk beside her bed and some portraits prettying up the walls. The vastness seemed empty to Rosa, devoid like a part in her chest. The worst part of the room was the constant reminder. The female swallowed the lump in her throat. The constant reminder of his death. Rosa began to pace around the room, putting her hands to her head. It was too much to consider, everything, really… She hadn’t seen her friends ever since the fiasco at the Department of Mysteries. Nobody had written letters to her. Remus only stayed a day with her so as to comfort her, and that she immensely appreciated, however, it simply wasn’t enough... The grief and pain kept on building inside her, forming various layers, and it seemed like nobody really cared anymore…  
But, what was it, that part… The part about Bellatrix. She had tortured her. She had used an Unforgiveable. She… Had cast the Cruciatus curse. A curse which only worked if the caster really meant it, meant causing pain. What was happening to her? Why was she still even here? She should be rotting away in Azkaban… But did they know? Is that why she was still here, because they solely didn’t know? Or because most of them believed it wasn’t true. Truly believed it.

Ah, yes. Dumbledore. ‘Rosa hadn’t cast the Cruciatus, Cornelius. A teenage girl isn’t capable of such deeds, and nobody has evidence that she had. She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. And, it was of my orders, she was to come here to the Ministry, to retrieve something of my needs, all in all my fault… Old man’s mistakes. What you should be focusing on, is Voldemort-‘and so he went on, Fudge was glaring at him with hatred as he went on, and on about Voldemort. And Rosa’s appearance at the Ministry only proved that Dumbledore shouldn’t be trusted, to Fudge. He refrained, the pressures of that night, plus the death-eaters, weighing down on him, and, perhaps, not to listen anymore to Dumbledore’s madness. He hadn’t even bothered to place the man in Azkaban. Fudge quit, he didn’t bother with Rosa’s supposed case, and didn’t send anyone to arrange a hearing, didn’t bother with whatever ‘Dumbledore may have needed from the Ministry’, the resignation of Fudge far out-weighed the ministry’s problems or any other problems at all for that matter. Rosa didn’t have any knowledge of a new minister or of anything else going on, nobody had come to visit her ever since Lupin insisted she was to stay at number 12 and dropped her off, warning her not to leave until it was time for school. The Dursleys wouldn’t allow her to step foot ever since the dementor attack on Dudley despite Dumbledore’s efforts to persuade them (why was he so eager to have her in that place?). Why she even had to stay with them in the first place, she didn’t know. The Dursleys were always abusing and neglecting her, providing her a most miserable childhood, a head-start for feeling alone and unloved. This seemed utterly torturous… She was the girl who lived after all, many would be willing to adopt her? Stabilized families? No, that wasn’t a good idea… They would only want her for fame, money and favors. They wouldn’t care for her, or love her. Then why couldn’t’ve it been her godfather… Who hadn’t gotten a trial…? Who was kept a secret from her…? Whom she had known for such a short time…. He would not have died if it were for this. And why was everyone keeping secrets from her? Secrets that circulated around her?

Rosa came to a halt and gazed into the mirror, taking in her pale and gaunt form. Her black and drenched with sweat T-shirt was clinging to her chest, outlining her, despite gaunt, slender and beautiful body. She lifted the shirt a bit, and frowned when she saw her rib-bones were sticking out, a look most horrifying. Her raven, slightly curly hair was slightly disheveled, Rosa couldn’t bother with taming it. Her shocking killer-curse green eyes contrasted greatly with the dangerously pale complexion of her face, along with her slightly rosy, natural lips. Her face all in all was of aristocratic features. An upturned small nose, defined cheekbones, long midnight lashes, small face. She was in great resemblance with her father, the things she had obtained from her mother being the green eyes, good vision and nose. Rosa cursed her own self for not taking care of herself. Insomnia had fully swept her away, hence the black circles beneath her eyes. She wasn’t eating much, cause of her being way too underweight. Rosa was never really considered healthy and never fit to the normal standards of average girls, but this was way too far-fetched, even she had to admit. She really couldn’t concentrate on her health, which was extremely dangerous. This was yet another thing to separate her from everyone normal. She had often been insulted by being called scrawny, and also, being called a nerd, merely for her grades and love for studying and reading, bullied for something she really enjoyed. They had thought these ‘small words’ wouldn’t affect someone as famous and special as her, but it really did. It really hurt her feelings, yet she was only suppressing them and hiding behind a facade. And calling her the girl wonder, the girl who lived, these things also hurt her. If only she could…

Rosa turned around immediately, apprehension dawning over her as Kreacher apparated loudly behind her. She scowled deeply at him as she realized the cause of her fright.

“What are you here for? Disturbing my morning? I don’t recall requiring assistance of any kind.”- Rosa snapped harshly, a dangerous glint in her eyes, staring down at the creature.

“Mistress Potter is to ready and greet Mistress Potter’s guest. Kreacher be here to inform Mistress Potter and to no keep guest waiting.”

With that, Kreacher disapparated, leaving Rosa with a weight of anger and irritation. But then, she went over what the elf said. A guest? She rushed to her wardrobe and quickly changed into a scarlet sweater, denim jeans and white socks. She tried to flatten her unruly hair to some extent, her veins rushing with anticipation…  
Rosa exited her room and walked down the stairs, careful not to wake Miss Black’s portrait… That thing gave her an immense headache. Finally, she reached the bottom.

“Wotcher, Rosa.”

A woman who looked fairly slim herself was standing by the doorway, short and curly aquamarine hair brushing at her shoulders, shocking violet eyes complimenting her leather boots, and jacket adorned with silver buttons and studs. Rosa forced on a smile as her enthusiasm slightly lifted. She hadn’t seen anyone in ages… And she had taken a liking to Tonks. Why would she visit her however?

“Hi, Tonks. Fancy… err… a cup of tea?”- Rosa blurted out, not sure of what exactly to say. She hadn’t talked to anyone in such a long time, and she was in ecstasy seeing somebody had thought of her.

Tonks beamed at her.

“Thank you for your politeness, Rosa. I’m here to… see how you’re coping, as to say. You know, I still blame everyone for isolating you like this…”- Tonks frowned slightly- “If you want I’ll make us both cups of tea. You seem like you need it.”- Tonks announced much more merrily, grabbing Rosa by the shoulder gently and leading her to the kitchen, polished and cleaned thoroughly by Kreacher as Rosa had requested long before. She thoughtfully looked up at the female auror.

“You really don’t need to.”

“It’s only my pleasure.” 

Rosa sat down at the seat Tonks gestured for her to sit. The Gryffindor stared down at the table, seemingly interested in the crevices, whilst the boiling of a kettle and the swishing of Tonks’ wand was muffled in her ears. Not long passed when the ex-Hufflepuff placed a mug in front of her and sat on the chair opposite her. Without a thought, Rosa took the handle in her hands and began sipping small amounts of the hot fluid, a blueberry flavor filling her mouth. She couldn’t help but notice Tonks was fumbling with some sort of paper in her arms, folding it neatly on the table before her. She could’ve sworn she spot some text. Was Tonks writing a letter to someone? No, that wasn’t parchment. And Tonks’ writing wasn’t that precise. Maybe it was a…

“So… What have you been reading lately? I’ve been informed you’re really passionate about reading.”- As Tonks said that, Rosa’s attention perked up. She set the mug down and looked into Tonks’ eyes. She appeared mildly interested. Rosa may have not paid that much attention to her reading lately, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t spent nights immersed in the story instead of sleeping. She could lead an actual normal conversation with a person right now, without stuttering and wondering what to say. This was her hard spot. And, frankly, Tonks wasn’t here just to fish out rumors concerning her life. She actually took her interests into account. It felt nice. 

“Well… The book is titled “Portrait of Markov”. Basically, it's about this seventeen year old girl in some sort of all-girl Defensive Magic School who moves in with her long-lost sister... But as soon as she does so, her life gets really strange, as strange as it could get for any witch or wizard. She gets targeted by these other wizards and witches who escaped from an unknown and forbidden human experiment prison, all sorts of vile, ancient forbidden magic performed there... And while her life is in ultimate danger, she needs to desperately choose who to trust. No matter what she does, she ends up destroying most of her relationships and her life starts to fall apart...”

Tonks raised her eyebrows and nodded.

“I see… I assume you’re into dark-ish novels?” 

Rosa eyed the piece of paper yet again. She had the urge to grab it, but she sighed and refrained herself from doing anything of the like. It would be very rude regarding Tonks, the woman who had willingly come here, to talk with her, to let her escape for a while. She really appreciated that fact, and she would respect her for it.

Now, dark-ish novels? Rosa hadn’t ever thought of it that way, she would mostly dig into the interesting plot and character development. Now that she thought about it… She had sort of adapted to these books, almost seeming normal. She really related to the main character of this particular novel. Maybe Rosa did seem kind of freak-ish in front of normal people? Was that it? Surely Tonks didn’t think that right? Oh, I’m just overreacting again. Good way to think Rosa, Tonks seems like she cares for you and you assume this of her?

“Yes, though I also enjoy classics very much. Classics depict the world and its concepts in a realistic way, you can easily get compelled into it, viewing the world and all its flaws. ‘Dark novels’ I find very fascinating, as they portray the world through absolutely different eyes, showing what other problems people have to go through…”

Although wasn’t she herself going through a mountainous pile of problems as of now? She almost felt like she was herself when delving into those novels. But she didn’t want to slip. She wouldn’t be surprised if anyone wrote a novel about her in the future… Maybe she would be in the light of some sort of golden Mary-sue tragic heroine… Who would know…? Or maybe she would be shunned by the thing she did in the Department-

Rosa shook off all her worries as she focused merely on talking about one of her passions, it was a true escape, and Tonks seemed to be listening to her, even though she was particularly not interested in that region, she seemed eager to listen to her. That used to be Hermione, a bookworm like her, who would also contribute to the conversation, but she hadn’t heard of her at all… She hadn’t heard of any of her friends. There wasn’t an elf snatching all her letters away from her this time. Rosa shoved that insignificant worry away again. An hour or two passed before Tonks had excused herself, stating that she had to go to an Order meeting and exiting the place, looking at Rosa softly and apologizing she couldn’t stay any longer. Rosa pondered at this. Grimmauld Place was the original place for Order meetings, but ever since she moved in for the summer, they stopped having them here. Were they held at yet another highly secretive building, and, if so- how did they find it so quickly? Rosa internally shrugged. Tonks had really lifted up her mood. She really considered Rosa’s emotions. Ron- he sure was a great friend, but he would say something insensitive like ‘How are you doing… Its fine, Sirius won’t want you skulking around… Cheer up…’ But she hadn’t even received that sort of comfort from him. She missed her friend. Why wasn’t anybody sending her any letters? Why wasn’t anybody visiting her (except Tonks, as of now) when they all knew where she was? Did they think, just because she was some sort of ‘hero’ she wasn’t a normal human being, and would swallow all her tears up? She wasn’t in the least anything like that, in fact, she may as well have been called the opposite safely. 

Or was that the reason? Did they believe the, true, rumors…? Do they think you’re unstable? It would be safe to say that you were.  
Rosa stood up abruptly, then a white glimpse caught her eye… The folded piece of paper was still there. Tonks had left it unattended in her hurry for the Order meeting. The temptation was simply too much for Rosa to overcome. She knew it was probably wrong- but she simply couldn’t resist. Tonks hadn’t specifically stated she wasn’t to touch it. Even though Tonks didn’t really know of Rosa’s desire to read whatever was in it. It wasn’t really wrong now, though, was it…? If it were something of utmost importance, Tonks wouldn’t have left it so carelessly. But, then again, Tonks was known to be a tad bit clumsy and forgetful. Rosa shrugged it off. Curiosity killed the cat, but she really wanted to know… Curiosity. She climbed the stairs back to her room hastily, and when she reached it, she didn’t bother changing out of her clothes and hopped onto the bed. The tea refreshed her a smidge and she wasn’t feeling feverish anymore. Rosa unfolded the paper, surprised it was, indeed, a letter.

Tonks-  
I know you’re concerned for dear Rosa, as am I. Frankly, I can’t do anything as of now. We have many things to consider important. She’s faced grief and death alone before, and I’m deeply sorry that she has to go through it again. There is nothing I am able to do regarding this. It is, however, the only way. Rosa’s time will come soon enough.  
Now, you asked about what happened to Rosa in the Department of Mysteries besides the unfortunate death of Sirius Black (my condolences). Rosa has been suspected of casting an Unforgiveable. I have, of course, dismissed it, but even my dismissal wasn’t enough to cease the rumors circulating around the theory. I myself am not sure whether or not she has cast it, though it is very possible, and if she has, I admit I’d never expected it of her. As you and I both know, to cast an Unforgivable you have to mean it. If she has, she isn’t going towards the right direction, regardless of who she cast it upon. Bellatrix only would be able to prove the theory, though she is deemed as way too unstable and was taken back into Azkaban despite her state. If the Ministry gets too involved with this matter, which I hope they won’t, Rosa would have to be put under Veritaserum, only then will we find out the truth.  
Enclosed here is the date for the next Order Meeting concerning our most recent worries:  
12.08/ Time being ten minutes before sunset.  
I assume you already know the place. Password is Cockroach Cluster. Don’t be late.  
Wishing you everything good,  
Albus

Rosa scoffed and threw the letter on the floor. An irritating monster was gnawing at her chest. Of course, everyone would be discussing her behind her back. What else was she to expect? Tonks seemed like she did care though…  
Tap Tap

“Huh?”

A tawny owl was pecking its beak against the window. Rosa stood up from her bed and opened the window, the owl graciously dropped off a scroll of parchment on her bedside table and swept off into the sky, now a tinge of creamy dreamy pink twirling with streams of crimson and tangerine. As soon as the creature left, Rosa shut the window and immediately picked up the scroll. A form of anticipation built up inside of her. Was this her lucky day? Had, perhaps, Hermione or Ron written to her? She really wanted to know what they were up to… As soon as she opened the letter, she was disappointed, but still happy. It were her O.W.L results. She was actually pretty excited about this, but with everything else going on it didn’t seem like such a big deal… She began reading.

Ordinary Wizarding Level results 

Pass Grades: Fail Grades:  
Outstanding (O) Poor (P)  
Exceeds Expectations (E) Dreadful (D)  
Acceptable (A) Troll (T)

Rosa Lily Potter has achieved:  
Astronomy: O  
Arithmancy: O  
Care of Magical Creatures: A  
Charms: O  
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O  
Herbology: E  
History of Magic: A  
Potions: O  
Transfiguration: O

“Hmm…”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
Rosa looked up at Lupin wearily and in confusion, still in her silk nightgown.

“W-What?” 

Lupin smiled down at her, still holding her trunk in hand, apparently prepared with everything she needed. Textbooks, clothes, robes, quills, parchment, potion ingredients... Everything necessary. Lupin had bought everything she needed in Diagon Alley while she was sleeping. 

“Rosa, you won’t be travelling aboard the Hogwarts Express this time. We’ll need to… ah… take an alternative route. Now you best hurry and dress up, go on.” 

Rosa tilted her head.

“Why would we need to do that? Why can’t I go on the Hogwarts Express?”- she asked Lupin with a bit of sadness in her eyes. Were they keeping secrets from her again? And if she couldn’t go aboard the Hogwarts Express… Then she wouldn’t be able to travel with her friends. Would they worry about her? Or had they already known before her…? Did they even care?

“Trust me on this Rosa. It’s for the best. Now, we need to hurry up, or else you’ll miss the feast, you don’t want that do you?”- Remus told her as he smiled sadly, patting her on the shoulder. 

“Now, go ahead, dress up and be sure to bring your father’s cloak and, as always, have your wand close. Please trust me on this, Rosa. You do know I care for you.” 

Rosa internally scowled at the secretiveness, but… Lupin had told her he cared for her. Something she hadn’t heard spoken to her in a long time in this isolation. This sparked up her spirit and she returned the smile to Lupin. Hurrying up to her bedroom, she dressed as quickly as possible in the nearest T-shirt, unzipped hoodie, sweatpants, and black trainers. As Lupin had told her, she grabbed her invisibility cloak and placed her wand firmly in her pocket, rushing down to his side. Without word, Lupin took the cloak from her and wrapped it around her. 

“Now, be sure to not utter a word and make yourself visible… You will be able to learn a few new things… While I establish the method to bring you to Hogwarts.”- As he said that, Lupin grasped her forearm and she felt a sharp pull. She was moving… Backwards, forwards… In a black and white dimension, everything felt dizzy and was spinning around her. She felt as if she were about to vomit. 

Then she found herself and Remus in a familiar place. The atrium, now far lively, with bustling crowds making their way. She could spot the fountain in which she contributed a considerable amount of galleons after her successful hearing. The atrium shined in brightness, polished all over and extravagant, details winding on every spot. It was a truly beautiful place. Even though lively, and light… The place somehow felt dark… A chill ran down her spine… She hated this place now. It gave her an intense, uneasy feeling. For all the right reasons at that. Lupin started walking towards the direction of the elevator and so she followed him, tugging at her cloak for maximum invisibility. Lupin said she shouldn’t show herself to anyone here. Well, she didn’t have an appointed hearing or arrangement at the Ministry, teens weren’t allowed roaming about just like that, and she hadn’t gone the guest method way. Plus, the debacle in the atrium when Ministry wizards had caught her here without permission. But Lupin? Perhaps he had already arranged a meeting. Yes, that was the case, of course it was. Rosa rolled her eyes at herself. They stood in the elevator for a while now, with people coming and going. Rosa concealed herself and furiously attempted not to bump into any of them. 

Finally, Lupin led them out of the tight space when they reached a specific level, and into the end of a vast corridor. He turned the doorknob of a fancy polished door and let themselves in. Inside were ten separated desks at the opposite end, lines of witches and wizards in order, chattering and bickering floating through the room. He led the curious Gryffindor to the middle line, and slowly moved as more and more people left the way they came from. Finally, finally it was their turn… for whatever Lupin had brought them here. Sitting behind the desk was a middle-aged woman with ginger hair held up in a tight bun, dressed in black glossy robes to support her uniform, just like, as Rosa looked around, everyone sitting at these desks. This looked like a new part of the Ministry, far more modern and advanced… Something she missed in the news, since she had been restricted. Elain Archeron, as the primrose badge on the hem of her robe said, greeted Lupin. Lupin kindly returned the gesture and pulled out a vial with red liquid from his pocket, handing it over to the woman. Rosa stared at the exchange with intent and immense curiosity clawing at her. Elain eyed the vial with caution.

“Rosa Potter’s soul purity test, then, Bonavich? Just as we arranged? Why isn’t she going to get it performed before she walks into Hogwarts?”- The Ministry official asked curtly. At this, Rosa’s expression was of pure shock under her invisibility cloak, she was gaping. 

“She’s ill. I’ve been keeping her at home- she’s being taken care of by our house elf as of now. The potions will take a long time to process in her system, so she’ll be rather late to Hogwarts. I thought this as the easier and more official way, either way. The pint of blood from her has been taken this morning, I assure you.”- Lupin replied with as much confidence and determination he could muster, obviously persuading the witch. Elain uncorked the vial, muttered a spell with her wand right above the blood, and then the words ‘Rosa Lily Potter’ formed right in front of her, she smirked at that. Elain then muttered another incantation, and the words formed into a number, ‘45’. Lupin looked slightly shocked at the display.

“Hmm… Rosa Potter…. See, if the number had been above ‘50’, she would be categorized as dark. Nevertheless, she is free to attend Hogwarts and live a normal life… However, this is rather curious…”- Elain then minimized the size of the number and imprinted it next to a name on the parchment in front of her. Lupin then impatiently cleared his throat, and Elain looked back up to him.

“Oh, right… Here’s your portkey.”- As she said this, she pulled out a silver key from her pocket.  
“Verified, and all. Just activate it to work whenever you need to, and it will take you to the place you need to be. Bradford’s taken care of all of that detail, so you best not worry.”  
Lupin took the key and placed it in his own pocket, walking away along with Rosa, in utter disbelief. Her head was a mess- she would nag Lupin to explain, to- She couldn’t think-  
“Ah, now, here’s your galleons for the assistance… Yes, this is indeed Draco’s here…”  
Rosa craned her neck to look back. Narcissa Malfoy and Draco Malfoy- Mother with a tight magenta cloak and son in a slick black muggle suit. What is that dung-eating imbecile and his mother doing here? Was perhaps… 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
Lupin and Rosa were now standing in front of the doors of Hogwarts castle. The grounds empty, a menacing chill swiping through Rosa’s delicate cheeks. Her trunk was in her hands which now contained her cloak and her wand was in her pocket. She was now dressed in her Gryffindor robes and uniform. Rosa was going through everything in her head. What was the soul purity test? Did everyone suspect she was dark, was that why they took her blood when she was unwilling? More secrets? Why was Malfoy there? She needed answers.

“Lupin, explain.”- She finally said, with a rather stern yet shaky voice, stomping her foot on the crisp grass and preventing herself from shivering meanwhile. Lupin took a deep breath, and nodded his head to her surprise.

“I’m going to say this as quickly as possible… So you don’t be as late as you already are. The soul purity test was a new insertion from the Ministry, obligatory for everyone in the lands, Rufus’s first rule as Minister. It would determine how much one’s soul was… corrupted so to say. It took in mentality, one’s abilities and knowledge in the Dark Arts, one’s inner personality, one’s… you get the idea. It was an ancient method abandoned thousands of years ago, being deemed as too harsh. I… The Order suspected something Rosa…”

“That’s why Madam Pomfrey, on Dumbledore’s orders, took a pint of blood from you while you were in the hospital wing in your fourth year, after the first task of the Triwizard Tournament… I would say it was too late even at that time. You’d had these pent up thoughts during fourth year, I suspect. With your first betrayal, the whole school turning against you... It was a bad time. I’m afraid, however, if we waited even a little while… You would’ve reached above 50. And then there would be terrible consequences, Rosa. Terrible. That’s why… You should be able to understand now, I hope.”

“Please know, I- all of us are doing this because we care for you. We really care for you. We would never want anything bad happening to you. And know, all of us do love you. I love you” 

Lupin said it in such a soothing, calm voice. Rosa gripped her trunk handle so tight, one would think it might snap… Yes, ‘all of us love you’… Why hadn’t any of her friends or the other Order cared to talk to her? Instead they all let her deal with all the grief, PLUS the pressure of the damned prophecy Dumbledore informed her of after the DoM fiasco? Instead of comforting her, he had placed more weight on that day. This specific thing Lupin said… It had fueled her memory of the prophecy… The prophecy she tried to drive away, to just live her life peacefully. Maybe her soul purity was always dark. Because she was destined, prophesized to murder. Because she had thought bitter thoughts at a young age. Because she would always place unintentional pain on her friends. Because she always affected people in a bad way. Because she had driven people away, caused them pain without wanting to… Because, right now, she would’ve snapped at Lupin, a person that said loved her… Even though he knew she was a freak, he had told her with a sincere look on his face, not a repulsive and forced one, that he loved and cared. Rosa inhaled and exhaled heavily, Lupin watching her with concern.

“I-I’ll be going now, Lupin. I don’t want to be way too late… I love you.” 

With that, she smiled her first real smile at him, and headed off to Hogwarts, a lone tear making its way down her cheek. 

She didn’t know a blonde boy with Slytherin robes and uniform was following after her.


End file.
